The convergence of TV and the Internet has arrived. “Digital Tuners” has also surfaced thanks to technological advances over the last 10 years. This patent application provides key insight into how this technology operates and performs many unique processes that when combined, provides for the technology or parts of it to work together or as a stand alone that will help TV broadcasters and content owners regulate their content. This technology provides a way to deliver digital media, chat, email, art, software, gaming, multi media, actual television broadcasting content, cable television content and web page based content over digital tuner equipped television sets and devices of the future. Strategy Analytics reports that people world will have access to online services and content delivered via their TV sets by 2005. That number is expected to increase dramatically now the FCC has mandated that Digital Tuner be manufactured with ALL TV sets by 2007.
The Digital TV Tuner Regulator Platform invention would provide a unique authentication process that identifies, tracks, aggregates and records the information as it relates to content, users and advertisements users actually choose. The up coming void in this marketplace that has to be filled for a truly independent system that provides all of the above. This technology offers broadcaster and content providers a way to broadcast or deliver content and derive revenues from the use of the Digital Tuner Regulator Platform. This invention provides numerous stand alone or work together processes that control and audit user activity, digital media content distribution and royalty distribution for use of the digital media. As well as that consumers are actually able to select their own viewing choices. Commercials are intended to act as the user's contribution or payment to view content. A system must be in place to handle 625 million television users/multiple users.
The DTR provides a way for TV Broadcaster's, content owners and Advertisers interact with their audience that uses Digital Tuner equipped TV's.
Again this is important because new method must be in place to assure content owners protection from theft and piracy of content as seen in the music and video industries the past three years.
In a Cnet article dated August 9th, they reported that: As of August, 2002, all future tv sets sold in the United States must include digital receivers. In an attempt to spur the adoption of digital TV, the Federal Communications Commission voted that all new TV sets to include digital receivers by 2007 which allow for consumers to access the Internet and exchange and use content. Beginning Jul. 1, 2004, TV sets with screen sizes of 36 inches and larger must include digital receivers. By 2007, it must be in all TV's.
The Digital Tuner is a way for broadcasters to deliver their content (old and new) to consumers safely and effectively while being compensated in a truly UNIQUE way. The Digital Tuner Regulator Platform will provide, for example, for the TV industry both accountability for users and content alike while assuring they will be able to generate revenues as they do today. The Digital Tuner Regulator Platform also provides an overall process that prevents pirating and/or the copying of content.
This is important as the FCC “pushed” for techniques to deliver a way to prevent copying of digital TV based broadcasts. FCC also noted that all digital TV transmissions will include a “broadcast flag” which designates shows that may not be copied freely. This “flag” is merely another Digital Rights Management tool but only for TV. Digital Rights Management induced files limit the use of a file. The Digital Tuner Regulator Platform IS NOT a digital rights management tool. The Digital Tuner Regulator Platform does not alter or manipulate the actual content “file” that a user receives, downloads or uses.
All televisions would be required to recognize the flag and, if it is present, permit consumers to record broadcasts only in lower-quality analog or encrypted digital formats. The Digital Tuner Regulator Platform invention also allows for a way to track these flags and account for each of them so they are not distributed in violation of copyright laws. This is a major concern for the FCC and the TV industry for they fear a Napster type situation could strangle the TV worlds. Napster in the late 1990's and early 2000 allowed for a distribution platform where people infused, transferred, played and distributed copyrighted materials causing irreparable harm to the music world.